Happiness Follows
by Tweedle Laney
Summary: Their relations had been kept secret from everyone else, but what will happen when Alice tells him some news that may change that for good? [Joker/Alice] Possible Series?
1. Chapter 1

At first, the jester couldn't correctly put together what he had been told. While his relations with the outsider had been kept hidden, for the most part, with the information that had just been spoken, that veil that had kept their intimacy a secret would soon be lifted. "Are you sure I'm the father?" he asked, his lone eye still wide in astonishment.

Y-Yes…" she murmured, her body stiffened in the presence of the jester. "It couldn't be anyone else's…" her hands began to fiddle with the hem of her skirt; a default habit when she was nervous. After all, how could she just tell him she was pregnant with his child? She was terrified. What if he didn't take responsibility? What if he wanted her to abort the child? What if he just left her alone with the child? All these 'what ifs' surged through her mental thought process like electricity.

"I see…." and with a smile, he lifted her abruptly off her feet and spun her with a laugh. Shocked by the sudden lift, Alice yelped weakly, arms about him in desperation. Last thing she wanted was for him to drop her. He ultimately brought her down, pulling her close to him. His forehead pressed against her own as his arms stayed firmly in place at her waist. "I'm happy for you… For us" now taking her hands in his, he brought them up to press kisses to their backs. "A child… Our child…"

This was the last thing she had expected from the jester. "You…. You're not upset….? Or at least a little shocked?"

"Why should I be upset?" he beamed at her, brushing her sun kissed tresses from her eyes. "You chose me… You're having my child, the new life we made together" he murmured softly, as he nuzzled into her neck. "You carry the beginnings of my family…"

His family... Something he never had. Or, so Alice assumed. There was so little known about him... He was a mystery, and that factor only added to his allure. His tone, his words…. They were all so sweet. But this was different... It was far more sincere, and heartfelt. He truly wanted this... "White…" her fingers interlaced with his own allowing them to fall to their sides as she pressed a soft kiss to his temple. "I hope you're alright with this…" her gaze dropped from his eyes to the curled shoes at his feet. "I hope I can make you happy… I know I can be such a stubborn kid... I can be a mess and I can't give you enough..."

"Alice, you've given me so much more than this world could ever give me" he allowed one hand to cup her cheek, returning her attention to him. His thumb stroked her soft skin as he spoke. "You've shown me kindness and instilled a happiness I never knew I could feel… I'd do anything to keep you with me always, as mine and mine alone….." his eyes left her own and trailed down to her stomach, his smile growing. "You've given me everything I've ever wanted. Alice… I'm perfectly and incandescently happy, and I owe it all to you"

The words took a few moments to process in Alices' mind before tears started to well in her eyes. She had been so nervous about what would happen, he could have easily brushed her off and left her alone to raise the baby, but he accepted her, accepted their child… And practically told her that she made him happier than the world, that she meant more to him than anything… His looked at her the way any girl would want to be looked at, and said words to her any girl would kill to hear. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she buried her face into his chest, a smile plastered to her face. "I love you, Joker… I love you more than anything"

The words he had so longed to hear came like soft wind chimes, the statement echoing in his ears. "Alice…" he took her chin between his thumb and index finger, capturing his gaze once more as he drew her in for a kiss. As soon as his lips me hers, it was as if he sealed the deal to his own happiness… The kiss remained soft and warm, as his hand left her chin, both now rising to cup her face, deepening the affections just enough to temporarily satiate him. As he pulled back, he pressed another lingering kiss to her forehead. "I love you too…"

-x-

_**HEY. I'M GRADUATING SOON. SO YEAH. HERE'S THE START OF MAYBE A SHORT SERIES?**_

_**This was actually kind of loosely based on a line from what Joker said in Omochabako no Kuni no Alice, in the Parallel World (School World), where Alice realizes that the school is actually NOT a real place. She would rather live in a reality than fantasy; however, doing that also opened the floodgate to her surpressed memories and guilt. So White takes her to the prison. The fact she gave in and chose the prison means, technically, that she chose to be with him forever. So he says: "You chose me, over a world of happiness"**_

_**The happiness in his voice was evident, and I wanted to try and capture it with this and in a less dark/dramatic way. Because imagine how happy that little shit would be. Since we know barely enough about Joker, I'm also assuming he has no other family. So the fact he and Alice are having the child sends him over the moon. Poor baby just wants a family... **_

_**I've never done Alice!Pregnancy stories before, since the idea of the outsider and a roleholder consummating brings up some difficulties in determining how the child would end up... But I couldn't help this one, it was too sweet to pass up.**_

_**Want this to be a series? Put a Yea or Nay and let me know what you thought!**_

_**Thank you for your support! And thank you for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Breaking the news to Black didn't get her as much of a grand reaction. He stood silently for a moment before pointing at himself, practically in disbelief that he was the father of her unborn child. "Mine…. As in MINE?" his crimson eye widened as he returned to silence, before briskly pacing back and forth. Alice only watched him, hands resting over her stomach. Looking at her now, she understood why the warden would have a tough time believing her news.

"Y-You don't understand! This is a stupid idea! Brainless!" He whispered angrily, more to himself than to her. He paused, finally facing her properly, panic spread across his face. "You— This is your fault! You realize that a fucking prison and a shitstick circus cannot facilitate a—" he stopped himself, clearing his throat before starting again. "A-a baby!" He finished off, before continuing to pace, hand raking through his wine colored hair as a heavy silence hung over them.

His reaction was as she expected, some complaints about how time consuming it would be to their already busy schedules and how troublesome the preparations would be— It would be hard to facilitate and prepare for the coming of the child, especially when Joker was always so busy with both jobs. She couldn't fully rely on the staff either. "We'll have to figure this out... Damn troublesome..." His words were harsh, but somewhere deep down, there seemed to be a hint of excitement about the news of a new face coming into their lives. The start of a family just for them. She would take good care to nurture this child... For his sake. For Jokers sake.

-x-

"You're aware you'll need to tell them eventually, right?"

Blacks words snapped Alice from her thoughts, a plate being placed down before her as he took a seat. She looked towards the empty chair to her right, before her eyes returned to the plate of food. "Where's Whites plate?"

The warden only clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, cutting up the sausage on his plate into small slices. "That bastard hardly comes down when food has been made… He'll eat eventually. But it will be cold" the fork he held in his left hand deftly stabbed into the meat on his plate, soon being raised into his mouth. For a tough talking warden, he was surprisingly well mannered. "But looping back to what I said, the longer you wait, the more suspicious they'll become once you get round"

Alice poked at the food on her plate, picking up the fork to cut at the fried egg. "I understand— I will tell them, I just don't know when the right time will be, you know?" Raising the white of the egg into her mouth, she relished the warm and salty taste— was there pepper and garlic too? Black had always been a good cook, at least compared to White. "Right or not, they need to know. You can't just leave without them getting suspicious, because they'll just march straight over here and aim a gun in our faces"

The brunette sighed, before folding the egg over and taking it in one bite. There was a moment of silence before Black cleared his throat. "I read that one should play classical music. It makes children smarter." As Alice picked up her plate, she paused, quirking an eyebrow upwards at his comment. "You read that somewhere….? You realize it isn't true right" taking up his finished plate as well, he folded his arms across his broad chest. "I'm not taking any chances. My child won't be a dumbass" he hissed.

"Black!" She exclaimed, nearly dropping the plates once as heard his last comment. "I swear— You can't talk as gruffly around the child, you know. They absorb words like tiny sponges!" As soon as her hands mounted her hips, the warden knew he didn't stand a chance winning an argument against her. "Ah, the clown is in the circus. If you want him to eat, bring it to him. He can't say no to you" he grumbled, standing from his chair.

The outsider smiled at that, and turned to the oven. "Thank you, Black" she beamed, taking a plate and sliding the remains in the pan onto it. "You know… We're lovers, and you're having our child. You can just call us Joker" Alice put the emptied pan in the sink and looked to Black a moment. "I know… I'll get used to it soon enough" she nodded, before fading from the redheads vision to the circus.

Alice peered into the big top, scanning the large arena before locating the Joker. He was smiling and ordering about the faceless workers… She never really saw him prepping before a show. "No, you need to do the trapeze before the rabbits!" Exclaimed the jester from below, the faceless above him only nodding. "Joker, we have these props, where do you want them?" Three workers wielding a rather heavy looking prop held it in the ringmasters sight, before putting it down a moment. "Put them backstage by the boxes and banners. You two also need to work on the routines before we do dress rehearsal!"

The outsider cleared her throat, before calling the jesters name. His head turned a moment, before he sauntered over to where she stood. "Alice, you're here! We're quite busy, but I'm happy to see you here! Is that breakfast?" Peering towards the plate in her hands, she gave a gentle nod. "It's for you— Black told me you hadn't eaten anything yet! It's unhealthy to do such things, you know…"

"I understand— I'm a bit busy right now, could you leave it here for later?" He asked, immediately looking back to the ring when he heard a loud crash. The three faceless from before dropped the prop— And it looked as if it would be hard to repair. "I'm sorry, Alice— excuse me" he left, bee lining towards the three. Alice placed the plate on the edge, and chuckled. Seeing the circus so lively made her excited for the show. Perhaps tomorrow would be the best time to tell everyone, since they all were to attend the show anyway. She thought back to Blacks words, and brushed a hand through her light hair. He was right, simply waiting to tell them wouldn't be right— they deserved to know what was going to happen.

Just then, she felt her stomach suddenly churn, a strange burning begin to rise in her throat as her hand flew to her lips. She rushed towards the restroom… The closest one she knew of being backstage— but didn't make it, instead going to the nearby trash can and expelling the acid like substance from her mouth. Thankfully, most of the workers were actually on stage rather than lingering in the back. The one that did happen to walk back rushed to her side. "Are you alright, miss?! Can I get you some water? Anything?!"

Alice lifted her head, hand rummaging in her pocket for her handkerchief. She wipes at her mouth before nodding. "Please…. Get Joker for me…" The woman gave a curt nod, bolting from her to the stage just behind the colorful striped curtain. The outsider slid down to the ground weakly, keeping her handkerchief to her mouth just incase… She had read on about morning sickness, but never really fretted too much over it. It really did feel terrible to experience, and the fact she would face this on a daily basis only deepened the sickening sensation in her stomach.

There was a sound of rushing footsteps, as the faceless woman returned. "Master White is busy currently…. My apologies, miss" she extended a hand to the fair haired outsider , who only stared up at her with wide eyes. She took the hand, hobbling slightly as the woman balanced her. "Easy does it, miss… Let's get you outside. Some fresh air should help you"

As Alice followed the woman outside, she began to think about Joker. Was he really too busy to properly come to her when she needed his support…? Would it even be like this during visits to the doctors? Or even when she was in labor? She knew things would be hard with their meticulous schedules, but she had at least hoped some time would be made for their family- for her.

—x—

Semi-short update here as well! Because I've been meaning to post this, but I've been picking at it and picking at it~ I'm glad you guys liked the first chapter! I hope the second one meets some of your expectations as well! Not sure how long this story will be, but it will be a few chapters worth! Thanks to Harroe for your help, your knowledge knows no bounds oh great one!

Thanks for reading this update, leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks for your continued support!


	3. Chapter 3

"Twenty time loops?!" She exclaimed, as the warden sighed, rubbing his temples. "So I read, yes. That's about as long as morning sickness lasts" she sighed, burying her face in her hands. "How do you even find the time to read all of this?!"

"I make time" he replied cooly, leaning against the doorway with his shoulder. "Studying up on it is better than being unprepared. We'll also need to go over what we'll need for when the baby comes. As I said before, with the state of things now, we're in no shape to raise a kid" he grumbled. "We need to get him in the loop of what's going on, or god knows what that idiot may do"

Alice could only sigh. He had a point, only the two of them were on the same page, while the other wasn't as involved in the discussion. She figured after the circus three time periods from now, he would have a bit more free time to grasp the situation and understand the predicament and the preparations that would need to be made. "I'll have a word with him when he gets down from working" the warden nodded to that.

"Alright. And we need to discuss you're telling the others as well" he pointed out. "The sooner we get it done, the better. If you go to them when you're suddenly rounding, it will NOT be easy to explain- especially to that god da- That prime minister of heart" he stopped himself mid sentence, shaking his head as he corrected himself. Changing his way of speaking would be a difficult task as well, but for the sake of that child, he would refrain as best he could. He also didn't want Alice to yell at him about it- No one likes being yelled at by women. Especially one soon to be hormonal woman.

"I understand. We discussed this at breakfast, didn't we?" she gave an exasperated sigh, earning a low growl form the warden. "Black, it's just not that easy... " how could she tell her dear friends that she was pregnant and it wasn't theirs? They would make assumptions, turn on each other and if they were to realize Joker was he father...? Such a delicate topic required more care than she would typically invest in were it another's child. "Troublesome... Just give it a try the next loop. Or I'll go do it. And god knows how that would go over" he snorted. " 'Yes, the outsider is moving out to live with us because we got her knocked up', that won't go over too well"

"I can't just say that! They don't even KNOW what I've been doing with my time when I come to visit! To just out rightly blurt something like that out would just be-" she bit her lower lip, eyebrows knitting together in mild frustration. "I'll give it some thought... I'll start with Julius after the next loop" the warden waved a hand lazily in a 'do what you want' gesture. "I need to return to work. Remember to talk to the clown too" adjusting the hat on his head, he soon turned on his heel and vanished into the halls of the prison without another word.

-x-

She was throwing up again shortly after the prison keeper left, this time, managing to get herself to a bathroom before she made a mess in the kitchen. Some time had passed and she decided to make dinner for the jester. He probably hadn't even eaten from the plate she left him, and food was definitely something he would need in order to operate properly for the show and rehearsals. Once she cleaned her face and rid her mouth of the foul taste, she returned in a rush to make sure nothing burnt. Thankfully, the dish didn't suffer too much in her absence. Some of the veggies had small black spots and the meat was a little more that medium rare, but it wasn't burning down the place at least.

Grasping the utensil she left at the side of the stove, her eyes immediately flew up at the sound of footsteps. "Joker?" she called, testing the name before receiving a low chuckle in reply. It was the jester, looking rather worn and exhausted. "Here, come sit..." sliding the contents of the pan onto a plate, she beckoned him towards the seat, placing the plate down as well. "You need to eat, or you'll wear yourself out before the show" she insisted brightly, earning a silent gaze from the ring leader. He didn't come forth, nor did he reply to her request. "Joker...?" his face looked pale, his eye glassy and face utterly unreadable. Though, the silence and the strange stares he gave only hinted at his inability to focus and unresponsive nature. A second later, it seemed to fade ever so lightly.

"Alice, I'm not very hungry~" he replied cheerfully with his usual sing song voice, even a smile to follow. She could hear the exhaustion in his voice, and slowly nodded. "I... Understand" she mumbled in a small voice. "But I wish you'd take better care of yourself"

The jester came close now, and Alice had hoped it was to at least take a bite from his food, but he passed the table, walking straight towards her and embracing her. Caught off guard, the spatula in her hand dropped to the ground with a plastic thud. Even now, her face flushed into a shade of pink as his face seemed to nuzzle deeper into the crook of her neck. "J-Joker...?"

"... Give me a minute" his breath was hot against her skin as he spoke, and he could feel her stiffen in his grasp. Slowly, her arms wrapped around him, an arm across his shoulders while her other rested just behind it, her hand playing absentmindedly with his wine colored hair. They remained like that for some time, before he finally drew back from her. "... You should get some rest, Joker" Alice kept an arm around him, starting to lead him away from the kitchen. He complied, hobbling along wth her as she led them down a long corridor. She had never seen him look so tired, nor had she seen him refuse food she made. Perhaps he was under a lot of pressure and stress abut the show? She bit her lower lip. She couldn't just tell him to become more involved now while he as already so exhausted.

Pushing the door to her bedroom open, she brought him in and closed the door behind them once she had a light on. "Here..." she removed his hat and began to untie his sash and slide his jacket off. "You can kick your shoes off anywhere" she folded his clothes and placed them on the dresser across from the bed. Once finished, she circled the bed and took a seat next to him. A long silence lingered in the air before he finally acted. Sliding off the edge of the bed, the jester slid between her legs and looped his arms about her waist, pressing an ear to her stomach.

"My family... My precious child..." he murmured softly, allowing his eyes to close a moment as Alice only watched him, embarrassed by this awkward position. Yet, this scene was just too precious to ignore. "You know, you'll be able to feel the baby kick when time goes by... You won't now, but soon enough" she chuckled, as he peered back up at her.

He rose, his single eye not breaking gaze with her blue ones as he caught her lips in a kiss, slowly pushing her back into the bed as he hovered over her smaller frame. She didn't object, returning the affections softly as her hands moved against the smooth skin of his face, brushing over his eye patch and through his hair. His kisses were short, heated and desperate, his lips working against hers hungrily as she gave a soft moan from her throat. He broke the kiss short, leaving her breathless as he lathered a multitude of pecks against her jawline and neck. Her hands brought his face back up to hers and pulled him in for another kiss. Both now out of breath, he pressed his forehead against hers, listening for her soft voice, for the 'I love you' he so longed to hear. But he was asleep before he could hear those sweet words spill from the lips of his beloved one...

Alice was roused by a loud crash outside, followed by what sounded like a cry of anguish... No, not anguish, anger. The jester was already up and getting his jacket on when she hopped out of bed. "Oh, good morning" he smiled a more genuine smile. He looked completely different from the hollow shell of a man she had seen last loop. "Morning... Is that Bla- Joker out there?" she knew she had to break the nicknames habit soon. Calling them by only Joker still wasn't specific enough in her opinion, but calling them like that also seemed more intimate. And given how intimate they have been and still are, calling her lover by name seems only appropriate. "I believe that's him, yes" he nodded, sliding the sash around his neck.

Once they were properly dressed, they headed to the kitchen, only to see the jesters counterpart there with a scowl plastered on his face, arms folded across his broad chest as his foot tapped impatiently against the bleak looking tile beneath his feet. "YOU" he growled, glaring daggers into the ringleader as he raised his arms in the air, as if asked to by police. "You left this damn plate out all night!" he screeched angrily. "What do you have to say for yourself?" he hissed, waiting for an answer. Alice turned to White, who only chuckled in reply. "The young lady made me food, and I simply was too tired to eat it~"

"That's no excuse to leave it out and make a mess, you little-!" she grabbed the jester by the collar and waved for Alice to follow him. "Now now, Joker..." the jester pleaded with a tone of amusement. "Not a word" his counterpart snapped bitterly, before tossing him forward. "Go get to work, harlequin" White only smiled and continued to the circus tent, leaving Black and Alice to fade back into the prison setting. "That fucking fool" he growled angrily, removing his hat to rake a hand through his hair. "Wasteful. Unappreciative. Pain in my ass" Alice sauntered over towards the table, taking the plate in her hand and bee lining to the trash can. "No, don't throw it away" the wardens voice cut through the silence, as he pulled out a storage Tupperware. "That clown will not eat anything else until he eats this"

Alice watched as the darker of the two took the plate from her hand, scraping it's contents into the plastic container with a fork. It was almost like a scene out of a movie she had seen, but she couldn't recall the proper title. She didn't linger on it too long before the warden spoke again. "Have you been sick at all?" he asked, still scraping te last bits of meat off the plate as he addressed her. She shook her head. "I was sick last loop... But I feel alright today" with a reassuring smile, the outsider took the now emptied plate and began to wash it in the sink, while the warden put the top onto the container and placed it on the table. "You're going out today, right? To explain he situation"

Shit, she forgot all about that.

"Y-Yeah... I'm going to talk to Julius first" she called from the sink.

"Well, get to it" suddenly behind her, hands worked quickly in removing the plate from her hand and taking her wrist so she wouldn't try to worm her way out of it. He ended up literally dragging her through the prison until they were behind a tent in the circus setting. "Make it quick, alright?" he released her and she turned back to stare at him. "But what if something happens...?" she was worried about their well being. The last thing she needed was a mob of angry men burning the circus to the ground. "Stupid, don't waste time thinking about that. Get moving" and with those final words to spur her on, she took a step forward and began walking to the tower, the circus noise only a dull roar behind her

-x-

The clock tower plaza was just as quiet as usual, but something about the same quiet made her stomach feel heavy. And she was certain it wasn't the morning sickness. She ventured up the stairs, taking each step slowly as she pieced in her mind an appropriate explanation for her moving out, and pregnancy of all things. She knew there was no real easy way to deal the blow, but there had to at least be a gentle way to explain the news.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the clockmakers office door, her skin felt heated and she couldn't cast aside the sickening feeling in her stomach. Raising a dainty hand, she slowly gave a hesitant rap against the wood of the door. "Come in" rumbled in reply. She felt as if she couldn't breathe, her head spinning like a top as she turned the knob of the door and give it a gentle push.

There he sat, Wonderlands mortician, eyes glued on the clock in his hand and hands working away at trying to get it fixed. Numerous coffee mugs littered his desk and a blanket on the floor only hinted that he hadn't been taking such great care of himself while she was out. He hadn't even bothered to look up until he saw the familiar shade of blue from the corner of his eye. "Alice!" his eyes were wide with alarm as he stood from his desk, dropping his tools only for a moment as the outsider offered a nervous smile. "Hello, Julius... I'm sorry I'm a bit late"

"You..." he averted his gaze for a moment, glaring into some spot on the floor. "You didn't tell me you would be gone that long... I was concerned" he mumbled under his breath. Typically, Alice would appreciate such sentiment from the mortician, but this time, all it did was increase the pressure of telling him the pressing news. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you" a shade of pink tinged his cheeks as he took his seat once again. "I was not worried..." he muttered under his breath. "But now that you're here, you should lie down. You don't look too good, Alice"

"J-Julius, I need to tell you something... It's important" her voice quaked as she spoke, earning his attention once more. "I... You see, I don't really know how I can say this properly... I've thought over it so many times and I still don't know how to tell you" her eyes could not meet his, and her hands fidgeted, grasping hold onto the hem of her skirt and clenching. The feeling in her stomach was only getting worse, and she could swear she could feel it rising within her. "But the truth is... I'm- I'm pre..." the words were like molasses on her tongue, unable to come out quick enough.

"Spit it out, Alice..." he snapped, pressing his palm to the side of his face. "Pre...?"

She couldn't. "I'm pretty sure the circus acts will be great this time around" she smiled. "Joker showed me some of their acts, and I was really impressed!" the undertakers eye could only twitch at the mention of his name. "You're quite fond of him, but he's dangerous. Don't let him get to you" he reminded her. There was no way she could tell him now- it would be too much...

Suddenly, the feeling in her stomach started to burn, and the burning shot up through her throat and finally into her mouth. She was too late to cover her mouth before she had thrown up on the hard tile beneath her feet, head spinning and body heated to the point where she could feel sweat beading and sliding down her skin. She fell to her knees, coughing as more sick came up and met the floor. Soon, she felt an arm about he, tugging her hair to the side as she hacked and expelled the sick from her mouth. She felt weak, sick, and above all else... scared.

She wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but when she awoke, she felt unfamiliar with her surroundings. It took her a good thirty seconds to realize she was in the clock tower again. She felt a bit better, but as she rose, a pressure in her head brought her back down to the bed. She needed to get back to the circus, and she had no idea how many loops had passed. Deciding to work against it, she forced herself up once again, fighting the dizzying pressure in her head. The clockmaker appeared to be absent from his office. This was her only chance to get out.

She would have to explain another time. Shakily climbing down the ladder, she slid her shoes on and hobbled out through the door, down the stairs, and out of the tower as quickly as she could without falling over. She would apologize to him later, but right now, her focus was getting to the circus.

-x-

"Where have you been?" the warden must have been waiting for her return with angry roleholders, because he had his whip out and seemed to search the trees behind her. "I got sick at the tower..." she explained, the pulsing in her head finally subsiding enough for her to explain what had happened to him. He scowled, and put his crop away, realizing she still had not told anyone yet.

"What do you mean you- GET YOUR ASS BACK OUT THERE!" he exclaimed, voice rising in pitch as fire burned behind his eyes. "B-But-" she stammered. "DON'T BUT ME! Don't you understand how crucial this is?!" the outsider could only listen now, eyes falling from his own to the ground. He brought his fingers to his temples, massaging them slowly. "Troublesome little... Forget it. I'll do it myself" he hissed, as Alice shook her head and placed a hand to his shoulder. "Don't... I will tell them, I promise you that I'll tell them... But after the circus, alright? People will be in higher spirits and things won't be so difficult. I swear to you, Joker. After the circus ends, a loop or two, I'll tell them all the news and that I'll be moving here"

That seemed to pacify him and his thoughts for the time being, but he gave a drawn out sigh, and nodded. "Alright. It'll be easier on all of us then... Now get some rest. I don't need you spewing chunks like you did in the morticians office" he ruffled her hair, and she smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his temple before heading back into the circus.

-Two Loops Later-

The circus was bustling with activity, the smell of delicious sweets and popcorn filled the air and voices rang clear through in excited conversations about the big show. The ringleader was behind the curtains, a big smile plastered to his face as he instructed the quickly moving workers on their cues, where props should be, the number of acts, everything and anything they needed to know, including if any emergencies occurred. Black was there as well, dressed in the same attire. For some reason, she felt more comfortable when they dressed the same, that way it didn't feel so weird just calling them Joker rather than trying to differentiate. She was properly dressed in her assembly attire, watching the performers move about and prepare. "Five minutes!" a voice called from behind her. It was the same faceless that had helped her previous. "Ah, Miss! You should probably get a seat for the show!"

Alice smiled and nodded. "I'll try to grab one. Also, I want to thank you for your help before, I never got the chance to-" the faceless waved her hand and laughed. "Don't linger on the thought! But thanks for remembering me- I'm surprised you could tell me from some of the other workers!" Alice could swear she saw a glimpse of her face that time- it looked genuinely happy. "I'll grab a seat- Good luck! I'm sure the show will be great" she started off towards the seat, hearing a thank you from behind her as she went through the fold and out into the crowd. Now would be a good time to actually see some of her friends. Given the shortening of the line into the big top, he was certain they were already seated for the show. It wasn't until she felt hands wrap around her wrists and tug her forward that she realized she was in the way- Or so she thought. "Alice!" the all familiar voice of the white rabbit rang clear through the noise and crowd. "Peter...!"

"My dearest, you simply MUST sit with me!" he smiled, taking her hands in his and pulling her close. "White, enough! Your voice is irritating!" the queen of hearts followed behind with knight in tow. "Vivaldi!" Alice beamed towards the purple haired queen, who looked startled to see the outsider there, but quite content as well. "Ah, Alice! We have been wondering where you've gone off to. You haven't visited us in some time" her hand pressed to her cheek, as if she was troubled by the fact Alice had failed to visit as often as possible. "My apologies- I'll definitely be over for tea soon!" she promised. Maybe she would be someone good to confide in about her situation with her baby and Joker. "Ah- Majesty, the show is about to start!" Ace pointed to the workers ushering guests in, flaps in hand as if they were ready to close. "How droll... I'd rather just spend my time with my darling Alice" Peter replied snootily, grasping Alices arm. "What do you say, my love?"

"I say it's against the rules for you, and you should go watch the show. The performers work really hard to make it all flow smoothly to entertain people, the least you could do is try to enjoy it" Vivaldi audibly 'hmphed' to that, before grumbling under her breath. Entering the tent, Alice immediately spotted the Hatters and the Tower Trio as well. Her friends were all here, and as much as she wanted to greet them all now, she supposed she would have to wait until after the show. Now just because the show was about to start, but also because Ace was literally leading her to a seat and sitting her there. Soon, the lights dimmed, and the ringmaster appeared in the middle of the ring. She smiled.

"Ladies and gentlemen... Welcome to the Wonderful Wonder World!"

As he continued his speech, she could swear he was looking solely at her, as if she were the only member of the audience. It was just as if the show was only for her, like the shows he would put on for her before they were intimately involved. "Let the show time... BEGIN!" throwing his hand into the air, loud booms like the sound of cannons erupted from the sides of the tent, sending confetti flying as the performers and animals began their acts, wowing the crowds and earning roaring applause.

The show was a massive success among the crowd, except for a majority of the roleholders, who still wanted nothing more than to go home and avoid this place at all costs. Alice, on the other hand, decided to enjoy herself. It had been some time since she actually sat down and enjoyed herself properly. Before she even knew it, the show had come to an end, and people were out of their seats clapping, damn near cheering for an encore. She had never seen so much excitement in a show before, but she knew that Joker was certainly happy with his results: He lived to entertain, after all. If he couldn't even do that, he wouldn't be doing his job properly!

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen for attending todays show! If you would please remain in your seats for one moment! Thank you, thank you!" as the cheers dulled, the audience took their seat once more. Alice looked confused. Were they going to do an encore? It all seemed really... strange. "Before we close, in the spirit of festivities, I'd like to call our dear Alice to the stage.~"

What...

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, the spotlight spilling over the audience in attempt to properly locate her. Once aimed directly at her, she froze, the castle residents just as equally dumbfounded as she was. Peter glared down at the jester, and murmured that he had no right to call her down. Still unsure as to why she was needed on stage, she stood, the audience clapping as she slid out of her row and stepped down the stairs, much against Peters protests. All eyes seemed to bore into her as if she were an insect under a microscope, and whispers started in all corners of the room. The jester extended a hand to her as she neared him. She could swear she saw Julius and the Hatters stand from their seats, everyones face curious and vying to know what exactly was about to take place. Even Black was on the side with a look of sheer terror on his face, but it didn't stop the jester.

Alice took the ringmasters hand and he beamed at her, as if he was telling her everything would be alright. He pulled her close, arms wrapping about her as he looked to the audience. Immediately, the roleholders were alert, half of them out of their seats while Peter was already trying to get through the row until Ace grabbed him. "Although it's a bit soon..." his arms lowered to the outsiders stomach, pressing his palm over it ever so gently whilst resting his chin on the top of her head.

__"My dearest Alice has united with me in the blessed bonds of parenthood. Soon the labor of our love will be born into this wonderful wonder world. A time of celebration is upon us! My thanks to all who brought us to this point.~"__

-x-

_**Nuke. Dropped.**_

_**Harroe. Darling. Light of my life. Bless you for all your help with this update. You've been putting up with my Skype shit for so long. Despite my cursing when writing it and urge to throw my laptop in the rain, I'm glad I wrote ALL OF THIS. And with your support and kindness I am so unworthy... *Deflates***_

_**This is the LONGEST update I have written in YEARS.**_

_**4547 words of story holy- No wonder my head is spinning.**_

_**I really hope you enjoyed this update! I'm happy to see more interest in the story! I'm also extremely happy to see new readers! Hi! I don't bite, I even take requests! Seriously, don't be afraid to drop me a message, I'm a dweeb.**_

_**Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope to update again soon before I prepare for Uni (I most likely will!)**_

_** Thank you for all your continued support, let me know what you think in the reviews!**_


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